I hate bedtimes
That's it really - I hate them! Isobelle is a nightmare, well that's not exactly true but since she discovered she can get out of her room she does. Bizarrely daytime naps aren't so bed, she doesn't necessarily go straight to sleep (far from it some days) but at least she stays in her room. & will usually go to sleep as soon as she's done a poo & got a clean nappy. But nighttimes are so much harder. For the most part she's in a good mood & I just lead her by the hand back to bed without saying anything. Although she says what I sometimes say 'What's the matter? What's wrong? Why're you crying? Have you done a poo?' Bless her. If anyone has a good strategies I'd love to hear them as this has been going on for a few months now & going up & down 2 flights of stairs each time isn't fun especially as some nights it can up to 2 hours (usually only 1 though). I've shortened her nap from just over 2 hours (then she'd wake naturally) to 1 1/2 hours. Maybe I should try limiting it to an hour & see if that helps.
Thanks for letting me moan on!
Replies
I too was going to suggest stairgate on room. When we moved house O had a brief phase of getting out of bed but on the whole he's been v good as we have a gate on his room and he soon lost interest x
I was hoping not to have to resort to that (haven't needed stair gates up until now) but that may be the only thing that works. I guess the real problem is that for reason she can't seem to get to sleep on her own. I think she's also very clingy with me since I got pregnant (it's like she sensed it before I even said anything) & all she wants is for me to stay in the room with her. Thanks though. Can you get stairgates that you can still close the door? I guess not!
WMrsBS
Think I'll be looking into them thanks. Although I put a night night light on in her room & that worked straight away (didn't when we lasted tried it) so I'll try that again 1st.
Thanks ladies, need to get this solved before baby arrives
sounds like hard work. This is why O is still in his cot! His older brother was in a normal bed by this age
This is hard work (although tbh she's been pretty easy in most other areas so can't complain too much), kinda wished I kept her in a cot for longer, although that wasn't an option once she felt out of it just before she turned 2! It was fine until she figured out door handles!!! I just keep telling myself & my hubby that it's just a phase & will pass soon. Please keep your fingers crossed for me as I can't imagine doing this with a newborn (or up & down the stairs all the time when I get bigger!!)
I feel your pain - F is the same most nights. When we first took the sides off his cot, he was great and didn't get out at all. Then, once he realised he could just get out and wander around upstairs and get his toys out, that's what he did. By the time I'd got downstairs he was out and running across the landing. We often have to go back up numerous times and when I'm on my own it's exhausting. He's started to want to fall asleep on our bed, something which he's never done and we've never encouraged. If he does fall asleep in his own bed, like last night, he'll find his way to our bed either during the night or in the morning. Today he came in at 6:30 which is fine as it meant he stayed in his own bed all night! He's always self settled and I don't want to start getting into having to rub his back to sleep or anything. We've also not yet tried a stair gate on his door.
Is she getting up after she has gone to sleep? or before? We usually stay with Lucy until she is asleep - either sitting on edge of her bed or on floor next to bed.
She'd probably stay in bed & fall asleep with me in there but I had hoped that she'd sleep by herself. I help her to sleep often with daytime naps by stroking her face but not normally at night time. Something to think about, thanks